The Independent66%
Venezuela earthquake latest: More than 10,000 missing and 164 killed amid fears death toll will soar 52%
By Maroosha Muzaffar54% Maira Butt52%
6/25/2026, 11:46:33 AM
BS Summary: This article contains 27 faulty reasoning types, including Negativity Bias, Appeal to Authority, and Ambiguity (Equivocation), with Appeal to Emotion as the most egregious example at 39% saturation with 340 hits. Analysis detected 2,325 faulty-reasoning hits from 871 analyzed words, generating a BS Score of 51% and a BS Rank of 52% (10,368 of 21,180 articles). This article is worse (more manipulative) than 51.10% of the article peer group.
The death toll from powerful back-to-back earthquakes that struck Venezuela on Wednesday has risen to 164, president Delcy Rodriguez has said.
More than 10,000 people have also been reported missing, with rescuers searching among huge mounds of rubble after the quakes west of Caracas on Wednesday afternoon.
At least 900 people have also been reported injured after two earthquakes of magnitude 7.2 and 7.5 struck within 39 seconds of each other.
Venezuelans have described the scene in the country as “like a horror movie”, as emergency workers scrambled through the damage while dazed survivors were rushed away on stretchers.
Families are desperately seeking help for their loved ones who are feared trapped.
“We had to climb over the rubble and everything,” said Maria Alejandra.
“The building superintendent with the baby and all the neighbors coming down.
But from that building, I only saw that one family got out."
Interim president Delcy Rodriguez declared a state of emergency after the earthquakes caused building collapses in Caracas and forced the closure of the country’s main international airport.
The US Geological Survey said there was a 44 per cent probability that fatalities could exceed 10,000.
Trump says Venezuela earthquakes have left ‘devastating number of deaths’
US president Donald Trump has said initial reports from Venezuela following the twin earthquakes are “not good” and that the temors have “left a devastating number of deaths”.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump said: “The two major earthquakes that just hit the great people of Venezuela are both massive in scale and have left a devastating number of deaths.
“We will be there for our new and great friends.”
More pictures from the scene of Venezuela's devastating earthquake
Spain and China to send aid to Venezuela
Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez offered his support to Venezuela on Thursday with foreign minister Jose Manuel Albares adding that Spain was ready to supply any emergency aid required after two earthquakes struck the country on Wednesday.
“Spain and myself offer our full support to the Venezuelan people following tonight's devastating earthquakes,” Sanchez wrote on X.
“Our thoughts are with the victims and their families".
China will do what it can to assist Venezuela after two powerful earthquakes struck the South American country, the Chinese foreign ministry said on Thursday.
There have been no Chinese casualties or injuries reported so far, ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said at a press briefing in Beijing.
EU activates Copernicus satellite system
On Thursday the European Union activated its Copernicus satellite programme to help with recovery efforts by providing data that helps to identify risks and prevent loss of lives and damage.
“My condolences to the victims of the earthquake in Venezuela,” wrote Hadja Lahbib, European commissioner for equality, preparedness and crisis management, in a post on X on Thursday.
“We are following the situation with our field staff and partners there.
“EU-funded partners are already providing help on the ground, Copernicus is activated & we stand ready to step up assistance.”
Watch: Rescue operations begin as 7.5 magnitude earthquake hits Venezuela
Death toll rises to 164
Earlier we reported that 32 people had been confirmed dead after a double earthquake hit Venezuela on Wednesday.
The death toll has now risen to 164.
More than 900 people have been reported injured.
'Like a horror movie': Residents describe terrifying earthquake experience
Residents in Caracas have described experiencing a powerful earthquake that has left hundreds of people injured.
“It started off gently and then gradually grew, and in the end, we all had to leave our houses, go outside and gather together,” Hector Ricci told Associated Press.
Maria Alejandra told Reuters that the incident was “like a horror movie”.
“We had to climb over the rubble and everything,” she explained.
Venezuela earthquake mapped: Death toll ‘could exceed 10,000’ after powerful twin tremors
Two powerful earthquakes struck Venezuela on Wednesday night, killing at least 32 people and injuring more than 700.
Authorities warned the death toll was likely to run into the thousands as the back-to-back tremors collapsed buildings across the capital Caracas and surrounding areas.
A magnitude 7.2 earthquake hit about 160km west of Caracas and it was followed less than a minute later by a magnitude 7.5 tremor, the US Geological Survey said, adding that the death toll would most likely exceed 10,000.
Interim president Delcy Rodriguez said the toll of 32 did not include casualties from La Guaira state, near Caracas and home to the capital's airport, which she described as the worst-affected area.
"Dozens of buildings have collapsed and we are currently carrying out very intense rescue efforts to save as many lives as God allows us to save," she told state television early on Thursday.
Stuti Mishra reports:
In pictures: Thousands feared dead after powerful back-to-back shocks
Trump offers to help ‘great friends’ in Venezuela after devastating earthquakes leave dozens dead
President Trump has offered help to his “great friends” in Venezuela after back-to-back earthquakes left dozens of people dead.
Early estimates suggest thousands of people may have been killed after the two earthquakes hit an area west of Venezuela’s capital, Caracas, with magnitudes of 7.2 and 7.5.
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